


Unchained Memories

by SoraMystic



Series: Return of the Sky AU [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, M/M, hope y'all like bickering, the only kind of relationship I know how to write lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:02:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23517370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoraMystic/pseuds/SoraMystic
Summary: In which two old friends reunite.
Series: Return of the Sky AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1692160
Kudos: 6





	Unchained Memories

**Author's Note:**

> Interpret this however you want lmao
> 
> Mine varies from work to work so buckle up.
> 
> Let's go.

“Well then”, Vanitas says.

He is fading, he knows that. Even without looking, he can feel it. The pain numbing.

He lost, and he can’t even find it in himself to be upset by that. Because it’s Aced. He could never be mad at Aced. Never. Even if Aced himself is currently unaware.

“I did my best. See you in the next life, Aced”, he says. He’s not angry, being angry is Ira’s job. He supposes he does feel a bit sad, though, and not the sadness his current incarnation has made him familiar with.

“No, Vanitas!”, Aced – or, Ven, as he calls himself this time – calls out. “You can’t possibly be okay with this?!”

Vanitas snorts. As if this battle would’ve had any other outcome. Not when Aced – Ventus – couldn’t remember their old life. Not when Ventus had been made to hate any and all darkness, even his own.

“Of course I’m not. But-” he spreads his arms, dark mist rolling off of him. “It’s game over for me, brother. Even you can see that.”

“I…”, Ventus trails off, fists clenched at his sides.

It’s strange, Vanitas thinks. Even though this situation is his own doing, he feels Ventus’ hurt and regret and guilt. At least that kid Sora isn’t around for this. He would have made things far more painful.

“You expect me to just let it end like this?”, Ventus mutters. And then, louder; “You expect _me_ to be okay with this?!”

_Oh._

Vanitas’s grin is a bitter one. “You’ll get over it. And I’ll get to see you again in some other life. This isn’t the end”, he says.

“What are you talking about?! What do you mean, next life? I don’t care about that! I care about here, and now, and you-” A sharp intake of breath, and Ven stops himself. He sighs. “Yeah, I guess. ‘And you’. Just that.”

_Oh. Oh no._

He is _not_ allowed to do that to Vanitas’ – Gula’s – heart. It’s fractured and hurt enough as it is. Hope? It’d shatter completely under the strain of something like that.

So instead Vanitas laughs, strained and hysterical. “Really? _Now?_ You do this to me, _now?_ You finally say the one thing I’ve been wanting to hear for forever and you do it _now?_ ” His throat tightens further. “That’s cruel, Aced. Especially from you.”

Ventus is losing patience, Vanitas can tell. He’s tired of the act. Vanitas doesn’t care. This form is failing him. He’s already lost all feeling in his legs. He might fall if he moves now, he might shatter into a million pieces. He’s already come to terms with this.

“I told you, I don’t know who Aced is!”, Ventus shouts. “Is he someone from our past?” _Our._ “Was he a friend of ours?!” _Ours._

“You could say that”, Vanitas says. “Aced was…” He drifts off, mind cast back into his past. Aced smiling, Aced laughing, Aced determined, sad, angry, dozing.

Vanitas sighs.

“Important. Very important. To me.”

“You? Vanitas…”, Ven says. “We have the same past, don’t we? We were one.”

Vanitas opens his mouth to explain that that might be true this time around, but it wasn’t always like that and- he sighs again. “It doesn’t matter. The Aced I knew doesn’t exist anymore. Whatever. That’s fine.”

“It’s not fine!” Ventus actually stomps his foot as he says that and god, that’s so very Aced. “Vanitas! How are you so calm?! Aren’t you sad, aren’t you angry?! Why are you just taking this in stride!?”

Vanitas wants to laugh at that. Ventus is so lucky the sharing of feelings is a one-way street. Instead he summons Void Gear. He notices Ventus tense. “If you really want to help me…”, he says, holding out Void Gear. “Carry my regrets.”

Ventus starts. “What…?”

“You heard me.” Vanitas takes a step forward and sure enough, his legs dissolve and he topples over. A flash of movement, and someone is holding him. Ventus.

The numbness has long since reached his chest. There can’t be much left of him now. Somehow he finds the strength to pull up Void Gear, handle pointing at Ventus.

“The one thing left for you to do, is to carry what remains of my heart. That’s it, that is the only way to help me now”, Vanitas says. Maybe he’s being harsh, but goddammit he is _dying_ and yet Ventus is saying things like that.

The numbness reaches the hand holding the Keyblade and his fingers twitch, letting go. It falls neatly into Ventus’ hand, who shivers at the touch of cold metal. Vanitas smiles, breathing difficult.

“Shame you didn’t remember me this time around. Oh well, there is always next time”, he says.

Droplets of water hit his face. Rain? His gaze focuses.

_Ah._

Vanitas raises the one hand he still has, puts it on Ventus’ cheek and wipes at the tears. “Hey, don’t cry. We’ll see each other again.”

“I- Vanitas, I-” Ventus chokes up, sobs, tries again. “I- I’m sorry I can’t remember him. I’m sorry I’m not who you wanted- needed me to be-”

“You didn’t-”

_Crk._

“I’m sorry, you needed Aced but you got me instead. I’m sorry”, Ventus says. “I’m sorry I wasn’t who you hoped I was. Things probably would have been better if I had been.”

“I’m not disappointed by what I got, Ventus.”

Ventus smiles. “Liar.”

“I’m not-!”

_Crrrrrk._

A shadowy hand flickers out of existence. Darkness creeps up from the corners of Vanitas’ sight.

“I’m not lying, Ventus. I’m sad I didn’t get to meet Aced. But I am not disappointed in you. I could never be. Know that.”

Ventus’ lip trembles, he bows his head. “Am I supposed to just accept this…? Have you fade away just like that…? I finally got to talk to you, get to know you! This is unfair!”

His gaze snaps up, locking eyes with the last remnants of Vanitas. “Don’t you dare die on me! Vanitas!”

_CRACK!_

The chains binding Void Gear clatter to the ground. And then there is quiet.

Vanitas’ breath hitches, stops for a second. The spreading numbness has stopped. “Ven…tus?”

Ventus doesn’t say anything. But something is happening to Void Gear.

Blacks and reds are being replaced by purples and creamy yellows. The broken chains disappear in a puff of smoke. Void Gear reassumes its old form. A form Vanitas hasn’t seen at all during his current incarnation.

“Ventus?”

Now Ventus looks at him, smiling. And Vanitas doesn’t dare hope, but he _has_ to ask, _has_ to know-

“…Aced?”

“Hey Gula”, Aced says.

Gula shoots up, with his still-reforming body, and envelops Aced in a tight embrace. He buries his head in the other’s shoulder. “I thought you were gone for good!”

“I know”, Aced says. “I’m sorry I didn’t remember sooner.”

Gula laughs, failing to hold back tears. “Are you kidding?! I’m- I’m glad you finally remembered, don’t apologize!” He notices the body that is reforming is not in constant pain and he sighs in relief. He wonders if he is wearing his old clothes again.

“That asshole sealed your memories, now I’m _really_ gonna let him have it”, Gula mumbles.

“And I’ll be right there with you”, Aced says. “How dare he, keeping me from you. He’ll pay for that.”

“One of many things he’ll be paying for”, Gula says and Aced laughs.

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said before, hmu in the DMs for a link to my tumblrs owo


End file.
